Concurrent Wireless/Landline Interface Apparatus and Method

1. A method of coupling a radio interface unit that couples a land-type telephone instrument to a radio system, which radio interface unit comprises interface means for coupling the land-type telephone instrument to a radio transceiver for providing the capability of using the land-type telephone instrument for at least one of making or receiving a call over a radio system, by using one of a pair of wirelines of a premises land-line wiring each having tip and ring lines associated therewith accessible via jacks, said method comprising: (a) connecting said interface means to the tip and ring lines of one of said pair of wirelines of a premises land-line wiring via one said jack thereof; and (b) connecting at least one land-type telephone instrument to the tip and ring terminals of said one of said pair of wirelines of a premises land-line wiring via at least one other said jack associated with said one wireline to which is connected said interface means of said step (a); and before said step (a): (c) testing a wireline of the pair of wirelines of a premises land-line wiring for determining the presence of operational voltage thereon in order to determine if the wireline is operationally connected to the PSTN.

2. A method of coupling a radio interface unit that couples a land-type telephone instrument to a radio system, which radio interface unit comprises interface means for coupling the land-type telephone instrument to a radio transceiver for providing the capability of using the land-type telephone instrument for at least one of making or receiving a call over a radio system, by using a premises land-line wiring having tip and ring lines associated therewith accessible via jacks, said method comprising: (a) coupling an interface unit, which is capable of coupling a land-type telephone instrument to a radio system, to the tip and ring lines of said premises land-line wiring via one jack thereof; (b) coupling at least one land-type telephone instrument to the tip and ring lines of said premises wiring via at least one other jack thereof different from said one jack of said step (a); (c) at least one of making and receiving a telephone call using said at least one land-type telephone instrument via the radio system; and before said step (a): (d) testing the tip and ring lines of said step (a) for the lack of operational voltage thereon in order to determine that the tip and ring lines are not operationally connected to the PSTN.